RAPE... An extremely inhuman, disgusting act that's haunting not just India but the entire world & speaking on behalf of fellow concerned Indians, it's a grave issue, which we all have been failing to handle.
When our film writers take up this issue to present in their films... it's all about getting it closer to reality, over exaggerate the insult the girl or her family might face, giving instant justice to the girl at least unrealistically just to please us frustrated viewers who have failed the victims in reality. Yes, mostly these scenes are forcefully inserted in a screenplay just to give a proper hero elevation scene where our hero gets to show his anger, disgust, disappoint & use all those emotions to take matters into his own hands. Just like everyone of us feel like doing when the system fails us. A need to raise above the system & get the justice on our own. My question is, how long will you want to exploit this feeling among viewers? If the answer is as long rapes keep happening then the answer is wrong in every which way.
I just want to point out few films in last few months, that have seriously misused this issue for nothing. The exception is made for Puri Jagannadh directorial movie called Temper & that entire movie revolved around one rape victim. Tried to use the Nirbhaya incident in it's favour. I'm not condemning this movie considering the issue was integral part of the script. My particular problem was with Kick 2, Theri & Sarrainodu.
In Kick 2, villain's son wants to take over his dad's position. The other henchmen mock him at his dad's party, saying he isn't man enough to take that position or even have the guts to kill. Frustrated guy gets drunk, pounces on an innocent girl serving food at the party & rapes her in front of everyone. Why? because he wanted to prove he's a man. While everyone watches, he bashes her head & kills her. Why? because he wanted to prove he has the guts to kill. Just a scene to deliberately create a melodrama between the victim's mother & the hero in the very next scene where she tries to hide this fact from the hero. Later the hero gets to know about it in the climax which makes him bash all the baddies which he was always going to do anyways. That's it, the very purpose of that brutal scene was only this.
Coming to Theri.. I'll admit as a viewer while watching, even I liked the scene. Not the rape, but the actions of the hero. Clear example of exploiting our emotions. What I didn't like about this U rated film was the detailing in the dialogue where the doctor explains what was inserted inside the girl's private part to destroy evidence. Yes, we have loads of crime story shows telecasting on various tv channels, various press reports letting out more details than required.. Honest question related to ethics, what was the point going into such details? Why did CBFC rated it U? I said I'll exclude Temper, but even there the torture scenes weren't cut. CBFC had just ordered to show those scenes in black & white. Girl gets tied & beaten up with belt, gets drilled, acid poured on her, tortured & raped for 42 days... U/A rating only demanded the scene where hero kills the rapists to be trimmed by 30%-40% but not the torture. What's with this special treatment by CBFC when it acts all butt-hurt over adult comedies or even words like saala?
Onto the third film, Sarrainodu. Personally I'm disgusted with the rape scenes but Sarrainodu took it way too far. The girl is killed by her abuser. After she dies, the guy rapes her. Why? Just so that the girl's parents can emotionally say "sachi poyina vadaledhu (didn't leave her even after she died)". Ofcourse this is followed by a court scene where the dead girl's character gets assassinated to an extent where even the 80s films' court scenes will be put to shame. All of this just to show hero getting angry & then he chops off the limbs of the rapist. Writer expects, the audience are happy now that justice is done. REALLY?
I don't care who blabbers about women empowerment, women's safety in movies. But when you take up an issue & try to take advantage of it, where's your ethics? You've written a lead character which requires to be glorified. Most of our commercial films tend to be patriarchal. We want our heroes to solve all our problems on screen. We want our heroes to get angry at all the issues we get angry at. We want our heroes to do things which we common people are not allowed to do or don't take enough courage to do. All that is understandable for decades now. But the moment you've fully understood the seriousness of the situation/issue then to see it being used so lightly, doesn't go down well. Honestly, the above 3 films I spoke about, if you remove those rape episodes from the screenplay, nothing would've happened to the film. Neither will the hero look weaker. Any writer or as a matter of fact any person should stick to his/her ethics & stand by their principles.
I had still not made up my mind to speak up until I stumbled upon a recommended video on youtube last night. A Telugu movie again & that scene forced me to speak up. NO, I don't approve CBFC rating this film. It's highly unacceptable to have such scenes. Reality or not, film maker should be socially responsible & so does the Censor Board. I'll let you watch that "wonderful" scene & decide it for yourselves.
My conscience is intact. Where is your's?
When our film writers take up this issue to present in their films... it's all about getting it closer to reality, over exaggerate the insult the girl or her family might face, giving instant justice to the girl at least unrealistically just to please us frustrated viewers who have failed the victims in reality. Yes, mostly these scenes are forcefully inserted in a screenplay just to give a proper hero elevation scene where our hero gets to show his anger, disgust, disappoint & use all those emotions to take matters into his own hands. Just like everyone of us feel like doing when the system fails us. A need to raise above the system & get the justice on our own. My question is, how long will you want to exploit this feeling among viewers? If the answer is as long rapes keep happening then the answer is wrong in every which way.
I just want to point out few films in last few months, that have seriously misused this issue for nothing. The exception is made for Puri Jagannadh directorial movie called Temper & that entire movie revolved around one rape victim. Tried to use the Nirbhaya incident in it's favour. I'm not condemning this movie considering the issue was integral part of the script. My particular problem was with Kick 2, Theri & Sarrainodu.
In Kick 2, villain's son wants to take over his dad's position. The other henchmen mock him at his dad's party, saying he isn't man enough to take that position or even have the guts to kill. Frustrated guy gets drunk, pounces on an innocent girl serving food at the party & rapes her in front of everyone. Why? because he wanted to prove he's a man. While everyone watches, he bashes her head & kills her. Why? because he wanted to prove he has the guts to kill. Just a scene to deliberately create a melodrama between the victim's mother & the hero in the very next scene where she tries to hide this fact from the hero. Later the hero gets to know about it in the climax which makes him bash all the baddies which he was always going to do anyways. That's it, the very purpose of that brutal scene was only this.
Coming to Theri.. I'll admit as a viewer while watching, even I liked the scene. Not the rape, but the actions of the hero. Clear example of exploiting our emotions. What I didn't like about this U rated film was the detailing in the dialogue where the doctor explains what was inserted inside the girl's private part to destroy evidence. Yes, we have loads of crime story shows telecasting on various tv channels, various press reports letting out more details than required.. Honest question related to ethics, what was the point going into such details? Why did CBFC rated it U? I said I'll exclude Temper, but even there the torture scenes weren't cut. CBFC had just ordered to show those scenes in black & white. Girl gets tied & beaten up with belt, gets drilled, acid poured on her, tortured & raped for 42 days... U/A rating only demanded the scene where hero kills the rapists to be trimmed by 30%-40% but not the torture. What's with this special treatment by CBFC when it acts all butt-hurt over adult comedies or even words like saala?
Onto the third film, Sarrainodu. Personally I'm disgusted with the rape scenes but Sarrainodu took it way too far. The girl is killed by her abuser. After she dies, the guy rapes her. Why? Just so that the girl's parents can emotionally say "sachi poyina vadaledhu (didn't leave her even after she died)". Ofcourse this is followed by a court scene where the dead girl's character gets assassinated to an extent where even the 80s films' court scenes will be put to shame. All of this just to show hero getting angry & then he chops off the limbs of the rapist. Writer expects, the audience are happy now that justice is done. REALLY?
I don't care who blabbers about women empowerment, women's safety in movies. But when you take up an issue & try to take advantage of it, where's your ethics? You've written a lead character which requires to be glorified. Most of our commercial films tend to be patriarchal. We want our heroes to solve all our problems on screen. We want our heroes to get angry at all the issues we get angry at. We want our heroes to do things which we common people are not allowed to do or don't take enough courage to do. All that is understandable for decades now. But the moment you've fully understood the seriousness of the situation/issue then to see it being used so lightly, doesn't go down well. Honestly, the above 3 films I spoke about, if you remove those rape episodes from the screenplay, nothing would've happened to the film. Neither will the hero look weaker. Any writer or as a matter of fact any person should stick to his/her ethics & stand by their principles.
I had still not made up my mind to speak up until I stumbled upon a recommended video on youtube last night. A Telugu movie again & that scene forced me to speak up. NO, I don't approve CBFC rating this film. It's highly unacceptable to have such scenes. Reality or not, film maker should be socially responsible & so does the Censor Board. I'll let you watch that "wonderful" scene & decide it for yourselves.
My conscience is intact. Where is your's?
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